From the category archives:

Cincinnati

“The best thing people can do is know what one looks like”

by Renee Corea on August 28, 2009

in Cincinnati, Issues and Challenges

Take a look at this story from Covington, Kentucky about the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky checking buses for bed bugs — TANK bus routes serve the Northern Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati. It is an extremely candid piece:

Exterminators said there is not bed bug repellant, and that the best thing people can do is know what one looks like. If in a public area, people should make sure to check the bugs are not around.

This is where the concept of bed bug prevention and “precautionary measures” breaks down. Public transportation, movie theaters, what can you reasonably do to prevent bed bugs in such places? Inspect regularly and educate the community. Of course, but is that enough?

My understanding from trying to read between the lines in historical sources is that we will control the bed bugs in public places problem when we reduce the number of infestations in homes, and only then.

And yet, this advice, the title of this post, is solid. If it’s all you can do, may as well do it like you mean it. I’m partial to the ID photos and tools in the NYS IPM/Cornell Guidelines, and also the out-of-this-world bed bug life cycle diagram in Dr. Anderson’s presentation (PDF) — there are many others and everyone should have no problem teaching others about what bed bugs look like. (People often want to see photos to scale, but they are seldom helpful, and maybe we should encourage public health departments to make available bed-bugs-on-a-stick with all life stages.)

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Good on paper, poverty and silver bullets: not everyone thinks Cincinnati is all that

by Renee Corea on January 8, 2009

in Cincinnati, Issues and Challenges

About that public conversation we are to have about the bed bug problems in our cities…

There was an exchange today in comments that I want to share.

It began testily.

Rich (a PMP in Cincinnati):

Cincinnati’s bed bug conference was a bust. The conference appeared to be an attempt to comoflauge the fact the the local governments have no idea what to do. [...]

Persons with infestations must realize that the majority of mitigating a bed bug infestation rests squarely on their own shoulders: pest control companies may be able to provide effective treatments, but only residents can clean up clutter and launder their personal items.

Me:

We, on the other hand, think that the JBBTF strategic plan is the smartest bed bug policy document we have read.[...]

Pest control providers must realize that residents can assiduously follow instructions and cooperate with treatment for weeks on end, but bed bugs will not actually be eradicated from the premises unless technicians provide knowledgeable and detailed inspections, targeted applications, all-around smart bed bug management, and actually know what they’re doing in the first place.

But then Rich posted another comment:

Strategic plans look wonderful on paper…just like President Bush’s “shock and awe” plan for Iraq. Regrettably, implementing what is on paper and achieving the desired results are sometimes at opposite ends of the scale.

[...]

Regarding your disagreement about the “silver bullet”, you are encouraged to become familiar with how heavy bed bug infestations are allowed to occur. I find that those who are economically able to pay for the service do so. Those who are not, do not. The ones who don’t have the service generally fall into the lower income family bracket, resulting in the spreading of the insect by “transporting” the insect to their place of employment, restaurants, movie theaters, public transportation, public housing, apartment buildings, and so on. The “silver bullet” will be a treatment that is both effective, and affordable, thereby allowing all persons with infestations the means to take care of the problem in the early stage of the infestation.

Infestations can be eradicated more quickly if all of those infested could afford the treatment. Efficiency depends upon how quickly treatments begin, and how cooperative the persons are who have the infestation. Dwellings that are not prepared for treatment, and residents who do not follow protocol, will always be a problem. You have to look at a few dogs sometimes, Renee, to figure out how the dogs’ tails wag.

I am not as pessimistic as I am frustrated. People use to live in roach infested properties until we were delivered the “silver bullets” that resolved the problem. Termites use to bring some people to tears because of the horror stories that abound from homes destroyed by infestations, until we were, again, delivered the “silver bullet”. Bed bugs will eventually have the same outcome, but I do not see that outcome anytime on the near horizon.

We are in agreement regarding your comment about trained technicians. Just like any other industry, there are those who will become profiteers when the market will allow them to do so. The one thing the City of Cincinnati had in their plans which I thought was an excellent idea was requiring PCO’s and technicians to be trained and certified in the proper treatment for bed bugs. However, it does not matter how well trained the provider of service is, if a person cannot afford the service, then the infestations will continue.

We are not in this all together, Renee. There are the haves, and there are the have-nots. Cincinnati’s population consists of many have-nots. The City’s response to the problem was only a well orchastrated response in their effort to save face in the eyes of those watching.

As it stands now, those with the $$ will be those who rid their homes of bed bugs. I personally provide support to have-nots in an effort to help slow down the problem. I offer what I can, and I do so without expectations of any sort of gratification. Condemnation of being a poor businessman has not caused me to loose any sleep, rather it has given me the ability to sleep better by knowing that I have provide some help to those less fortunate.

So, let us keep our fingers crossed that Mike Potter and Rick Cooper come up with that “silver bullet” some time soon. In the mean time, should you discover something yourself, I will trust that you will be inclined to share it with all of us. Kindest regards.

I’m not so sure about this idea that poverty is the ultimate vector. But it’s a question that has to be explored.

But we absolutely can’t wait for a silver bullet. Waiting means living with bed bugs. We say no to that.

In any case, I think we should keep talking.

Maybe I just warmed to Rich because he said he thinks PCO training is an excellent idea. Or maybe because he thinks I’ll somehow be on the press release list for the would-be silver bullet manufacturers.

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Greater Cincinnati Survey: 14.5% of Cincinnati respondents (7.9%, Hamilton County) report a bed bug problem

by Renee Corea on December 22, 2008

in Cincinnati / Hamilton County Strategic Plan, Featured, Public Health, Statistics

If you’ve read the Cincinnati/Hamilton County Joint Bed But Task Force Strategic Plan, you know it contemplated three areas for statistical research:

Research
There is a critical need to evaluate the current level of infestation in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana, to determine the burden of this significant quality of life hazard on the population, and to have a baseline for analysis of future trends. We have identified several potential projects to address this issue. These include adding questions related to recent bed bug exposure to the Greater Cincinnati Health Survey and the state Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance (BRFSS), as well as developing a survey of pest control operators in the Tri-State region. All of these projects would require additional resources.

Greater Cincinnati Health Survey
This survey would allow us to ask several focused questions about the recent household exposure to bed bugs and efforts to eradicate infestations, in citizens of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. The survey would include ~500 respondents in the City of Cincinnati and 500 respondents in Hamilton County, and would provide population based representative estimates of exposure to bed bugs in the past year.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
This annual survey would be used to obtain state-wide prevalence estimates of recent bed bug infestations, and would provide the baseline data for evaluating trends in bed bug infestations throughout the state. Based on discussions with ODH, expression of State Legislative interest and a legislative directive to add a question about bed bugs to the BRFSS would be very helpful in getting this question added to the BRFSS, at no direct cost. Robert Indian (ODS) and Patty Koss (BRFSS coordinator) are the contact persons for this study.

Survey of pest control operators
Based on list of licensed PCO’s provided by Ohio Department of Agriculture, we could design a survey to obtain information on the number of buildings being treated for bed bugs by pest control operations. Based on reported data from the city of Toronto, we believe that the majority of bed bug infestations are not being reported to the two Health Departments.

There is no press release that I could find on the website of the Cincinnati Department of Health, but the results from the University of Cincinnati Institute of Policy Research semiannual Greater Cincinnati Survey are in. And they’re extraordinary. And apparently, a non-event in Cincinnati.

I found the press release below at Outlook on Health, a Cincinnati web site dedicated to women’s health issues. The page is dated November 20.

I could not locate news reports or the press release itself anywhere else.

I am reproducing it in its entirety:

Joint Bed Bug Task Force Urges Effective Bed Bug Treatment Methods and More Resources

CINCINNATI – Once introduced to a geographic area, bed bugs are difficult to eradicate. The Joint Bed Bug Task Force (JBBTF) a collaborative effort comprised of City of Cincinnati, Hamilton County and State of Ohio officials was established early this year to better understand the extent of the bed bug problem in the region and to issue recommendations. The recently completed JBBTF Strategic Plan recommends that more resources be found to support a broad-based educational, preventive and consultation campaign to improve the effectiveness of bed bug treatment for citizens.

“Bed bugs are a problem that can affect anybody and everybody, regardless of income, occupation, ethnicity or neighborhood,” Dr. Noble Maseru, Cincinnati Health Commissioner said. “Aggressive and effective treatment is necessary and should be started at the first sign of a problem.” The JJBTF acknowledges that public awareness and education are important aspects of dealing with the bed bug problem, and urges residents to learn the facts about ways to prevent infestations and recommended treatment methods. “Hiring a professional pest management service is the most effective way to eliminate a bed bug infestation,” Tim Ingram, Hamilton County Health Commissioner said. “Do-it-yourself products may cause bed bugs to scatter and make the situation even worse.” It is wise to use a licensed pest management professional with considerable experience treating for bed bugs. Treating for bed bugs is time-intensive and labor-intensive. Customer cooperation is an important aspect as clutter needs to be removed. An in-depth inspection is essential to the process of targeting bed bugs.

“A team-approach is useful for locating and treating bed bugs – any active bed bug harborage should be treated immediately before the bugs scatter, with the in-depth inspection then continuing.” Dr. Susan Jones, Ohio State University Extension Entomologist said. As part of their work, the JBBTF sponsored a series of questions for inclusion in the Spring 2008 Greater Cincinnati Health Survey conducted by the University of Cincinnati Institute for Policy Research. The results of the survey show that overall 7.9% of Hamilton County respondents answered “YES” when asked: “In the past year, have you experienced a problem with bed bugs in your home or apartment?” Of those who had a bed bug problem, 31% chose to treat the problem with only an over-the-counter insect spray – a method that is ineffective in almost all cases.

Breaking the information down, 14.5% of City of Cincinnati residents responding to the survey had a problem with bed bugs. Of Hamilton County residents outside the City of Cincinnati questioned, 3.6% reported a problem. The survey indicated that bed bugs affect all age, race and income groups. The results confirmed that renters and students tend to experience more of a problem. “I personally would expect a much higher incidence of bed bugs in any metro area,” Dr. Jones said. “These areas tend to have more multi-family dwellings, higher concentrations of people, more mass transit, more population diversity and a wide range of socio-economic conditions.“

For more information about bed bugs: City of Cincinnati residents: Information regarding bed bugs, including an instructional video can be found online at www.cincinnati-oh.gov (click on the Health Department link) or by calling (513) 564-1751. Hamilton County residents living outside the cities of Cincinnati, Norwood, Sharonville and Springdale: Please visit Hamilton County Public Health at www.hamiltoncountyhealth.org or call (513) 946-7832.

Emphasis added.

Did you see that? Yes, I recommend that you read that again.

Cincinnati, population 332,252, received give or take 757 official bed bug complaints in 2007. Do we realize what this survey suggests about the likely underreporting rate? The official stats could account for less than 2% of the actual cases.

And is it possible that there could be ______ New Yorkers who have bed bugs? Why can’t we have this type of survey here?

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Cincinnati’s ambitious bed bug inspection program cancelled in budget crisis

by Renee Corea on December 15, 2008

in Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Enquirer today:

[Vice Mayor David Crowley] tried unsuccessfully to restore more than $291,000 for the bedbug inspection program, proposed by the health department to deal with rising requests for help, and more than $114,000 for a climate protection coordinator and an environmental compliance program.

We’ve discussed how Cincinnati had been trying to keep pace with the demand for bed bug inspections as the number of bed bug complaints doubled in 2008 compared to 2007. The bed bug inspection program budget had included $100,000 intended for criminal enforcement of bed bug violations—remember that Cincinnati classified bed bugs as vermin, making the harboring of them a misdemeanor.

In Hamilton County the budget is not yet final, but shortfalls are dangerously worse.

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The Cincinnati/Hamilton County Strategic Plan: getting the basics right

by Renee Corea on October 28, 2008

in Cincinnati / Hamilton County Strategic Plan

What is most impressive about the Cincinnati/Hamilton County Joint Bed Bug Task Force Strategic Plan is the breadth and accuracy of the analysis. We can’t solve a problem that we don’t understand—and it’s clear that committed and intelligent people in Cincinnati and Hamilton County correctly analyzed the issues.

They obviously get the basic things right, like for example the simple fact that an infestations map, even one maintained by their public health departments, will be a flawed representation of the total number and location of infestations (p. 16):

While this map is somewhat informative, it is important to remember that not all bed bug infestations are reported to the health department in the city and county. In fact, based on data from other cities, it is expected that the majority of bed bug infestations will be treated by pest control operators without being reported to a health department. Therefore, these maps may merely show the distribution of bed bug infestations in lower income areas, rather than the true number and distribution of infestations in the city or county.

Emphasis added.

I assure you that something like this is not immediately obvious to many. I know we may look at the New York City bed bug statistics of HPD-tracked bed bug complaints, the breakdown by community districts, and we may think of our neighborhoods with corresponding relief or alarm.

Perhaps you remember the map published by the New York Times in 2006? You can see it here. It accompanied this article.

You can pretty much lose yourself in the color-coded risk calculation trap that is that map! If you were to make assumptions about bed bug-free neighborhoods, however, you’d be courting serious error.

New York vs Bed Bugs advocates the tracking of bed bug infestations in New York City. We believe that bed bug complaint statistics should be available to the public as part of Local Law 47 reports. Moreover, we believe there should be a non-adversarial reporting system for bed bug infestations in our city. We need a clear picture of the scope of the problem.

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Hamilton County Public Health’s Jeremy Hessel: “We’re all in this together”

by Renee Corea on October 19, 2008

in Cincinnati / Hamilton County Strategic Plan, Featured, Public Health

The first thing you notice about the Hamilton County Public Health bed bug brochure is the simple direction to call for help (PDF):

If you rent a home or apartment within Hamilton County (excluding cities of Cincinnati, Norwood, Sharonville or Springdale) and you think you have bed bugs, please contact the Hamilton County General Health District at (513) 946-7832. Health District sanitarians will work with your landlord to eliminate the problem.

The four excepted cities operate their own health departments. To see if a city or community is served by Hamilton County Public Health, check this map.

Hamilton County is the other half of the Cincinnati/Hamilton County Joint Bed Bug Task Force. Unforgivably, we have virtually ignored them until now—this despite the fact that a Hamilton County public health official was the first to make us sit up and take notice of a critical perceptual shift in 2007 when he declared that bed bugs were a “public health crisis.”

The Joint Bed Bug Task Force’s recently released Strategic Plan notes several differences between Cincinnati and Hamilton County: 58% rental housing units in Cincinnati vs. 37% in Hamilton County, a higher proportion of old buildings in Cincinnati, 28% of the population living below the poverty line in Cincinnati vs. 15% in Hamilton County, and a greater density of “transient residential structures” in Cincinnati.

A public health nuisance

In the national hand-wringing debate about what to call bed bugs (are they merely nuisance pests or public health pests—and, perhaps, does the answer depend on political will and resources?), Hamilton County shows itself in command of the essential question.

“Bed bugs might not spread disease but we consider them to be vermin, and a public health nuisance,” says registered sanitarian Jeremy Hessel.

When I spoke to Jeremy Hessel, Hamilton County Public Health’s tally of bed bug complaints, at 180, had already surpassed the previous year’s count of 167.

Under Ohio Department of Agriculture pesticide rules, an owner of a building of three units or less is allowed to treat the building without an applicator license. Hessel considers this a significant challenge in Hamilton County. Nonetheless, building owners have started to come round to the idea of hiring competent pest management professionals to service bed bug complaints in their properties, and they’re starting to understand what is required for eradication.

Who pays for treatments in Hamilton County? When tenants were being charged for bed bug treatments, Hessel said, Hamilton County consulted Legal Aid attorneys on their behalf. Unless the landlord could prove that the tenant “brought them in” or that unreasonable destruction was caused by the tenant, the landlord was responsible.

While treatment failure is not yet a significant problem in Hamilton County, Hessel worries about it becoming more common in the future.

Asked about the distribution of bed bug cases in the county, he says that while there is a high concentration in apartment complexes and apartment homes, they’re not only in densely populated areas. “You’ll see them in smaller cities within the county. Suburb areas in the county.”

Frequent tenant turnover in apartments, however, is a perceived factor in the spread.

When I asked about single-family homeowners and the likelihood that their struggles with bed bugs do not come to their attention, Hessel surprised me by saying, “They’ll call us. We’ll try to give as much guidance as possible, and sometimes we even go to their homes.”

When I tell Hessel I’m impressed by this, he says they do it to try to help the public. “Because if they have a problem, and if they stay at a neighbor’s house or at a hotel until the problem’s gone, they can take them with them. So, we’ll try to give them as much advice and guidance as possible and even make a visit sometimes.”

If you see one bug, that’s all you need

What happens when a resident asks for help with a bed bug problem? According to the Joint Bed Bug Task Force Strategic Plan, bed bug complaints received by Hamilton County Public Health are entered into the Cincinnati Area Geographic Information System (CAGIS). A field sanitarian is then assigned to each complaint and conducts an inspection within 5 business days. If an infestation is found, a violation is written and the sanitarian follows-up with all parties (landlord, tenant and pest management professional) within 14 days to check on the progress of the case.

The following flow chart (see page 22 of the Strategic Plan) describes the complaint response process:

Bed Bug Complaint Response Flow Chart

Bed Bug Complaint Response Flow Chart

Hessel explains that they have received guidance on inspection protocols. “Through this process of formulating guidelines, we learned from [Ohio State University entomologist] Susan Jones that ‘if you see one bug, that’s all you need.’”

The Strategic Plan recommends leaving the full, likely-two-hour inspections to the professionals.

If signs of bed bugs are found at the field evaluation, instructions are given to the owner and to the tenants about their responsibilities. Hessel says he asks the landlord to hire a pest control operator “tomorrow or the next day.”

“We follow up with the landlord to make sure that process has been done or that process has been initiated, and then we’ll have the tenants follow up with us on how the situation is going. We might do some follow-up field visits, upon request.”

I ask our favorite question, what about inspections of adjoining apartments?

“We usually recommend that they do that. It’s not mandatory, but it’s highly recommended because of the nature of the bed bugs, and how they maneuver through the walls and electric piping. So most of the applicators that we have encountered do that already. They go in and inspect upstairs, sides and below. It’s all about good pest management.”

What is on the horizon for their bed bug control efforts in Hamilton County? Hessel says they haven’t really looked at furniture movers and furniture stores and they may evaluate the problems in those businesses. He says they plan to do community outreach presentations to different groups, such as social workers and other workers who take care of adults with disabilities.

“One of the tougher issues is when nurses call from school.” They offer help to the affected families.

We’re all in this together

There is a fundamental decency to the approach to bed bug infestations in Hamilton County. And this was felt in our conversations with Jeremy Hessel. When we thanked him for talking to us, he said “We’re all in this together.” When we complimented the extraordinary work that they are doing, he said something I personally found moving in its simple statement of the facts.

He said, “We’re trying. We’re doing the best we can. I hope others will take the lead. If you try to forget about it, if you try to brush it aside, it’s going to catch up with you eventually and you’re going to be behind the eight ball at that point. You got to do something about it now. You can’t let it continue. You have to try to step in and do something for the residents.”

Yes, we must.

New York vs Bed Bugs advocates a comprehensive bed bug strategy for our own city. We’ll have what Cincinnati and Hamilton County are having, please! You can support our efforts.

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The Cincinnati/Hamilton County Strategic Plan: the political frame

by Renee Corea on October 6, 2008

in Cincinnati / Hamilton County Strategic Plan

This is the first of a planned series of excerpts and articles on The Cincinnati/Hamilton County Joint Bed Bug Task Force Strategic Plan.

The Joint Bed Bug Task Force is comprised of the Cincinnati Health Department, Hamilton County Public Health, and Ohio State University Extension Entomology (Dr. Susan C. Jones).

The Joint Bed Bug Task Force members who collaborated on the Strategic Plan are: Camille Jones, MD, MPH; Timothy Ingram, RS, MS; Susan Jones, PhD.; Antonio Young, RS; Chris Eddy RS, MPH; Thomas Hooper, RS; Robert Smith, RS; Bernadette Watson; and Mohammad Alam, PhD.

We’ve chosen to open our examination of the Strategic Plan (a document that we have anticipated all year) by simply citing the statements of the elected representatives and public health officials of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

The statements of government and public health officials are always important. They are predictive. They frame the issues and define the challenges and the terms of success and accountability.

And policies will absolutely flow from those statements, as we have seen with regret in New York City.

In Cincinnati and Hamilton County, the following statements are quoted in the Joint Bed Bug Task Force Strategic Plan:

Ohio State Representative Dale Mallory stated “This infestation is a major social and economic issue that must be addressed. We are working hard at the state level to help address this issue. I have met with the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and state elected officials. We are looking forward to helping resolve this problem.”

Cincinnati Councilman Chris Monzel said “The necessity of including the health department and other city and county departments as well as private and community organizations in this effort is clear.”

Dr. Noble Maseru, Cincinnati Health Commissioner stated “This bed bug problem is like a canary in the coal mine, alerting us to vulnerabilities of our social environment. The Task Force led by Dr. Camille Jones provides guidance to address bed bug infestation and the importance of establishing an essential multi agency network to solve this major nuisance in our social environment. I also commend our state, county and city legislative leadership in their quest to acquire resources which in the long term must be resolved through a citizen, public and private sector collaborative effort.”

Mr. Antonio Young, Supervising Sanitarian for the Technical Environmental Service of the City of Cincinnati Health Department said “We are committed to finding a way to minimize the impact of bed bugs on our community. The southwestern area of Ohio appears to be experiencing what the rest of the state may expect in the near future. The important work that the Task Force and political representatives do in this region, if carefully done, may serve as a model in addressing this formidable quality of life issue elsewhere”.

You know what else is interesting about Cincinnati/Hamilton County? When Ohio State Representative Dale Mallory convened an emergency meeting (yes, an emergency meeting) on January 18, 2008, following two previous town hall meetings, well, let’s quote in full:

Participants in the meeting included Representative Dale Mallory, Representative Michelle Schneider, Senator Bob Shuler, Cincinnati Councilman Chris Monzel, County Commissioner Todd Portune, Cincinnati Health Commissioner Dr. Noble Maseru, Hamilton County Health Commissioner Mr. Timothy Ingram, Dr. O’Dell Owens, Ms. Shirley Dunham representing Cincinnati Vice-Mayor David Crowley, Ms. Carolyn Edwards representing Cincinnati Councilman Cecil Thomas, Ohio State University Entomologist Dr. Susan Jones, Cincinnati Assistant Health Commissioner Dr. Camille Jones, Hamilton County Director of Environmental Health Chris Eddy, and Ms. Polly Doran from the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio. As a result of that meeting, the Joint Health Department Bed Bug Task Force was formed.

We hope that this will finally make clear why we have such a great interest in the genesis and in the work of the Cincinnati/Hamilton County Joint Bed Bug Task Force and why we are devoting special attention to the Strategic Plan. From the very beginning the issue of bed bugs had the attention of the Cincinnati and Hamilton County elected and civic leadership. I have to say that we are clearly in awe of their efforts. We congratulate them for an impressive undertaking. The specific challenges of combating bed bugs are certainly great but when there is a consensus from elected officials and public health officials that action must be taken, then there is actually hope of meeting the challenges and helping the people who are struggling.

Our next installment will explore the Task Force’s conception of these challenges.

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Coming soon…

by Renee Corea on September 18, 2008

in Cincinnati

In the next few days we’re going to take a very close look at the Cincinnati/Hamilton County Joint Bed Bug Task Force Strategic Plan.

Yesss, we finally scored a copy!

Alas, it won’t all be fun. As New Yorkers, there’ll be one not-so-small matter to reflect about.

And because it’s been Cincinnati this and Cincinnati that here for the longest, we’re going to show Hamilton County Public Health a little love!  For the simple reason that they care about bed bugs.

More soon.

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Cincinnati may be unable to keep up with the demand for bed bug inspections

by Renee Corea on August 4, 2008

in Cincinnati

At the June 24 Cincinnati Board of Health Meeting, Assistant Health Commissioner Dr. Camille Jones gave an update on the “bedbug issue” and the news wasn’t especially promising:

She said if you compared every month this year to the same month in 2007, the number of complaints has at least doubled, which is very alarming. The proportion of complaints specifically asking for an inspection has been increasing, and that is also alarming for the Health Department. In the beginning the requests were asking for information, and that has changed into asking for inspections; at this point (in June) 75% are asking for inspections.

What this means is that it is reaching the point where the Department will not be able to respond to the complaints with inspections.

As we’ve noted before, there is a bed bug awareness and prevention bill in the Ohio legislature that would fund the state’s education and prevention activities. The budget estimates for Cincinnati’s bed bug inspection program are here.

If our close attention to Cincinnati’s efforts to combat bed bugs seems a little strange to you, let us state the obvious reason: we believe they are breaking ground in bed bug policy making and we want to learn everything about what they are doing and the challenges they face. I remember distinctly the day last year I found out Cincinnati had created a Bed Bug Remediation Commission; that Commission has since become a joint city/county task force which has written an as yet unreleased Strategic Plan to deal with the bed bug epidemic. Interesting things are happening in Cincinnati and we want to know all about them.


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Cincinnati’s upcoming bed bug conference!

by Renee Corea on July 29, 2008

in Cincinnati

Today’s exciting news is that the Cincinnati Department of Health is hosting a bed bug conference on August 14, a day-long conference, as part of a strategy to raise public awareness. The conference will be an opportunity to educate the public, environmental health workers and pest control professionals and will address the real issues of the bed bug resurgence: landlord/tenant issues, prevention, inspections, and treatment protocols. Dr. Susan Jones of Ohio State University and Rickell Howard, a legal aid attorney, will speak.

This is smart, so smart… it’s what San Francisco’s Department of Public Health did in 2006.

Here are some features of the bed bug problem in Cincinnati, from the press release via the Cincinnati Beacon:

The city of Cincinnati is predominately comprised of old buildings, a harborage for bedbugs. An estimated 28% of the population lives below the poverty line while 58% reside in apartments or rental units. According to the Cincinnati Health Department, these factors have played a considerable role in the resurgence of bedbugs, resulting in a projected 35% increase in reported cases in 2008, primarily from residents in Avondale, Fairmount, Mt. Auburn, Over the Rhine, Price Hill, Roselawn, Walnut Hills and Westwood. Most concerning is that the experience of other cities suggests that complaints to health departments represent only a small portion of actual bedbug infestations.

[Emphasis added.]

Cincinnati, population 332,252, received more than 757 bed bug complaints in 2007.

Are we obsessed with Cincinnati and Hamilton County and their Joint Bed Bug Task Force and its draft Strategic Plan?  Yes, yes we are.  Next question.

Sigh. What about us, you ask? When is New York City going to do something comparable? Are we going to have to roll our own?  Maybe!


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